Many Mistakes
by DareToDream123
Summary: When Arias family finds out about Aria and Ezra relationship, Byron threatens Ezra, forcing him to leave to a new job in New York. Both him and Aria are heartbroken for 6 years, until they meet again. Except this time Aria has a daughter who looks strangely like Ezra, and many people begin to get in there way... Part of it takes place in 2x14 Ezra/Aria love story
1. Chapter 1

_Ezra_  
Ezra and Aria. Aria and Ezra. Those very two names together ran through Ezra Fitz's mind over and over again, as he lay on his sofa watching football on TV. He had a terrible headache from the excessive amounts of alcohol he'd drank the night before, and was having a lazy day in. Like any lazy day, he wore loose grey joggers and a Hollice t-shirt. Also, a plate of cookies sat in front of him ready to be eaten. Though, Ezra didn't feel like eating at all. Nothing would be able to take his mind from what had happened the night before.

Telling Arias parents about his and Arias relationship was always not going to go well. Over the period of 6 months they spent together as a couple, this thought had ran through Ezras mind over and over again. Every time he'd seen Ella ( Arias mum) or Byron ( Arias dad) he'd felt extremely guilty from keeping it from them. But yesterday Ezra had, had to tell them the truth, otherwise Jackie would. Jackie had threatened Aria, and Ezra hated that. He never wanted Aria in danger, and hated seeing her get hurt. He loved her. But now they were over, all because of Jackie and Arias parents.

He had hoped that telling Arias parents would go well, but of course it hadn't. They both now hated Ezra, and were mad that him and Aria had been together while Ezra was her teacher. After Mike had punched him in the face, Aria said that it was best if he left. Now Aria was grounded, unable to use her phone to call him or leave the house. Meaning that they were over. Bryon and Ella had split them up for good.

Yesterday, Ezra had drunk a lot of alcohol to take his mind off of the fact that him and Aria weren't together anymore. It hurt his heart to know that he would never be able to kiss her or touch her again. It was cheesy to think that, and he knew it. But he couldn't help it, he loved her more than he'd loved anyone else before, and he was now heartbroken.

A knock at the door broke Ezra from his thoughts. Turning the TV off, he stood up with a sigh, and opened the door. His eyes widened as he saw Bryon Montgomery, standing there with a hard expression.

" Bryon… Um, Hi. Come in." Ezra said nervously. Bryon stepped into the house, and stared at Ezra with a look of hate in his eyes. It was strange now to think that Ezra and Bryon had once been good friends, now Bryon loathed him. " Would you, er, like some water or bear?" Ezra asked politely, after standing there for a moment in awkward silence.

"No thank you. I won't be staying long." Byron replied emotionlessly, keeping his hands in his pockets. " Look, I'm here to give you another chance." He spoke after a few seconds of silence.

" Ok." Ezra responded with a small frown, curious to what Bryon was about to say. It didn't look as if Byron was going to punch him, which is what Ezra had expected him to do. But it also didn't look as if Byron had come to explain how he didn't mind Ezra and his daughter being together.

" I've made many mistakes myself, as you probably know, and I'm not proud of it. This has been a really hard year for Aria, and I know myself that's it's hard to control a student – teacher relationship. You were there for Aria, in a way that her parents couldn't be, and for that I am slightly grateful. But you have to know that this relationship was going to come to an end. Aria is a teenager; she doesn't know what she means when she says she loves you. You have to know that this inappropriate relationship was a mistake, that one day you will regret too. I'm here to offer you a second chance Ezra, I want you to tell me right now that you're never going to see or talk to Aria again, that your relationship was one big mistake." Ezra looked down towards the floor once Byron was done explained. He couldn't just admit to Byron that he didn't love Aria when he did.

" I understand, Mr Montgomery, how you see mine and Arias relationship. But we've been together for 6 months, and I love your daughter. I can't just say that this was one mistake, when it wasn't. I can't lie about it any longer." He replied after a few moments, watching as anger spread across Byron's face.

" She's been her hasn't she. This is where you too meet up to get together." Byron stated angrily, knowing that what he was saying was true. He stormed around the apartment for a moment, before turning to me again, pointing a stern finger at me. " I'm willing to give you a chance Ezra. There's a job down in New York to be head of the English department at a high school there. I want you to leave and go to New York, I want you to never see my daughter again, and not tell her why your leaving. If you don't, I will go to the police and tell them everything, meaning that you will be arrested and put in jail."

" I can't just leave without saying anything. I love her. Look you can punish me, but don't punish Aria." Ezra pleaded, knowing that him and Aria were never going to be the same again.

" If you love my daughter then you'll want what's best for her. Leave Ezra, so that she can have a normal life, get her own college degree and get a job, without having to worry about what everyone else thinks about it. It's what's best for her. You're not good for her. If you leave now, you will save yourself and my daughters reputation." Ezra never thought that Byron would end up threatening him, and that he would actually consider leaving Aria. But now he knew he had to. Byron was right, Aria needed a normal life until she got out of Rosewood. She'd already been through enough trouble with the police. Now if he didn't leave, then Byron would tell the police, and Aria would go through hell for the next few years. After a few moments of consideration, Ezra knew what he had to do to protect Aria.

" Fine. I'll leave. I'll take the job in New York. Just please don't punish Aria for this. None of it is her fault." Ezra agreed with a sigh, looking down towards the floor in dismay. A small smile now appeared on Byron's face, as he headed towards the door.

" You're doing the right thing Ezra. Thank you." And with that, Byron left. Collapsing back onto the sofa, Ezra placed his head in his hands, forcing the tears away from his eyes. He couldn't cry, he had to stay strong. This was the right thing for Aria. _But was it the right thing for him?_

That night Ezra didn't sleep at all, he just sat there staring at the TV, with a cup of tea and a blanket. Once morning came, Ezra reluctantly got ready for work, knowing he would have to pack up things from his office. He'd already received a call saying that they were ready for him down in New York, and were glad that he'd accepted. Rosewood college already knew he was leaving, Byron had sorted it all out for him. Ezra wanted to feel happy that he was moving on with his life, but he knew that he would never be happy with a life, that Aria wasn't in.

While he was getting changed, he heard his home phone ring, but didn't bother answering it, letting it go to answer phone. He heard his answer phone message, and the beep before Arias angelic voice rang through his ears.

" Hey…" She began softly, and Ezra's heart broke further as he heard her voice. " I'm calling from Hanna's phone since I'm scared my dad's going to go through my phone bill. I miss you already and just wanted to hear your voice again." Ezra sighed at her words, as another beep sounded from the phone, meaning that the message was over.

He was going to miss Aria, and Ezra knew he would probably never get over her. His expression stayed glum, as he drove to and entered the college he worked at – or use to work at. On his way in, his passed Jackie who had a mischievous grin on her face when she saw him, but he only glared at her as he walked by, entering his office. If there was anyone to blame for this mess it was Jackie. She'd ruined him and Aria, just like she'd wanted. Once he'd thought he loved Jackie, now he saw her for who she really was, a heartless bitch.

Trying to get rid of the anger coursing through his body, Ezra began to pack his things into boxes, ready to leave. After a few hours, he was nearly done and all that was left to pack was a photo frame and a few books. He'd been careful to avoid the photo frame, as behind the picture of his parents, brother and sister, was a few photos of him and Aria together. Some part of him knew that even if he binned the photos, leaving Aria wouldn't hurt any less. So he decided in his mind that he would keep them, so that he would never forget her – even though he knew without the photos he never would forget her anyway.

" Mr Fitz?" A familiar voice said, and Ezra turned around to see Hanna standing at his office door, with a large blue box in her hands.

" Hanna." Ezra replied with a small frown, he wondered what she was doing here at his office. Did she know he was leaving?

" Look I just wanted to say that I know what happened with Arias parents, and that nobody else sees it that way." Ezra looked down to the floor, waiting for Hanna to notice the boxes. Like he thought, she spoke up after a few seconds. " Why are you packing?"

" I'm leaving Rosewood for a job in New York." He replied after a few moments, awaiting Hanna's expression.

"You're leaving?" Hanna gasped.

" Yes."

" But you love Aria! You can't just leave her like that! She'll be heartbroken and you know it. You can't just run away from your problems!" Hanna shouted at him, causing a few heads in the hallway to glance at his office.

" Yes I love her, but she's better off without me Hanna. She's already been through enough with the police, and now there's this with her parents. Its what's best for her." Ezra responded, a small idea popping into his head. No part in the deal had Byron mentioned that he couldn't stay in touch with one of Arias friends so he could check up on her to make sure she was ok.

" She'll be heartbroken!" Hanna exclaimed.

" I know she will Hanna. But I have to leave, otherwise things are just going to get worse, and I don't want her hurt. Look, I know it's a lot to ask, but if I give you my phone number will you call me if anything bad happens to her?" Ezra asked hopefully. He knew it was a lot to ask of Hanna, mostly because she would have to keep a secret from one of her best friends.

" Fine. If you really are leaving. But you have to say goodbye to Aria, I'll give her my phone again later so she can call you." Hanna ordered.  
" Thank you. I really mean it. I'm never going to forget Aria, and I really do want what's best for her." Ezra said with a deep sigh, handing his phone number to Hanna.

" I know." Was all Hanna responded with, as she exited out the door. Picking up the picture frame, and taking the picture of his parents out, he stared for a moment at the few pictures he had of himself and Aria together – one of them being the first one they'd took together with bags over their heads. A small smile formed on his face as he recalled the memory, and he carefully lifted the two boxes he had and carried them out towards his car. After saying a quick goodbye to his boss, he headed home to pack the things in his apartment.

It took him a lot longer to pack everything from his apartment, he'd only just managed to find a flat to rent there in time, and now a moving truck was parked outside waiting for his furniture. Two men came up to help in, and Ezra made sure to pack all the things to do with Aria in a separate box. While he was packing away the final picture he had found of himself and Aria, his phone began to vibrate. Instantly, he pressed the answer button, knowing who it was.

" Hey." Her beautiful familiar voice rang down the phone, making Ezra's heart ache. The moment he had dreaded the most, had come.  
" Hey." Was all he replied, his mind going blank.

" Look I know I shouldn't be calling, but I miss you and just wanted to hear your voice." She spoke down the phone, oblivious to what he was going to have to tell her.

" I know. I miss you too." Ezra replied truthfully, looking down towards the floor.

" I know you probably have to go since you're at work, but I wanted to say that I love you, and my parents will come round eventually." His heart ached again, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he began to speak again.

" Look you shouldn't call here anymore Aria. I'm not at work, I'm packing everything from my apartment. I've got a job in New York, and I'm leaving Rosewood today." Ezra spoke in a haste, trying to hide the regret in his voice.

"You're… you're leaving?" She gasped her voice breaking slightly as she spoke. It broke his heart to here this, but he knew it was the right thing to do.

" Yes."

" I thought you said you loved me, and now your just running away from the problem. My parents will come around Ezra! Then me and you can be together properly." Ezra could hear that she was trying not to start crying, and stay strong. Ezra knew Aria rarely cried unless she desperately needed to. Despite her size, Aria had always been strong and independent.

" I can't do this anymore Aria. I've already put you through enough. You're better off without me." A small cry echoed down the phone, causing Ezras heart to clench.

" At least let me see you before you go."

" You can't Aria, I've put you through enough. It will only be harder for both of us if we say goodbye in person."

" Ezra-." She began again, but Ezra cut her off before she could carry on, knowing the shorter the conversation the better. The more Ezra spoke to her, the more it hurt him.

" Look I need to go Aria. Goodbye." Quickly he hung up, repressing the urge to add an '_I love you'_ onto the end of that sentence. He'd done it, and soon he would be leaving Rosewood for good. But he wasn't happy about it, he was heartbroken. Only one question ran through his mind, as well as his continuous thoughts about Aria. _Was this a mistake?_

* * *

_A pretty sad first chapter but i hope you enjoyed it anyway! There will be an update soon:) I'll hopefully update every week! I'm only onto the third season of PLL but i know that Ezra is A :( Which i'm sad about because i love Ezra+Aria! Anyway please leave a review to tell me if you like it or not;) _

_Disclaimer- I don't own PLL or any of the charecters so far._


	2. Chapter 2

_Aria_  
6 years later

"We've arrived in New York sweetie, it's time to wake up." Aria whispered in her daughter, Summer Montgomery's, ear, as the cab they had taken arrived outside their new apartment in the city. At the sound of Arias voice, Summers eyes flickered open and she held out her hands for her mum to carry her. With a small smile, Aria paid the cab driver and climbed out with Summer in her arms, immediately spotting Spencer, Hanna and Emily all stood at the entrance. " Come on honey, it's time to see your aunties again." She whispered in Summers ears, hoping to wake her up fully.

"Aria! It's been too long we've missed you!" Hanna exclaimed, as Aria approached them with 4 year old Summer in her arms.

" I know, I don't think we've ever been apart for longer than a month! Never mind a year!" Aria replied, smiling broadly at her 3 best friends.  
" Auntie Hanna, Auntie Spencer, Auntie Emily!" Summer shouted in delight, now fully waking up. Aria smiled as her daughter hugged each of her friends.

" Hey sweetie, wow look how much you've grown!" Spencer commented, picking Summer up and spinning her around, causing her to giggle happily.

" I know! Mummy had to buy me some new clothes since my old ones don't fit anymore!" Summer told her, showing off her brand new pink t-shirt.

" Well you're looking very pretty." Emily complimented, as Summer went over and hugged her. When all the greetings were completed, Aria led her best friends and daughter Summer up the stairs to her new two bedroom apartment. Already she'd been down in New York getting her apartment ready to move into. She'd been delighted when she received the job at Christopher Columbus high school, during the summer holidays. It had taken a while to move from Philadelphia to New York, but she was finally here with her four best friends. One by one her best friends had moved here over the years, and Aria had been desperate to see them. Now she could see them every day if she wanted.

" Wow. Mummy is this our new house?" Summer asked, as she ran into the large apartment, jumping onto the sofa with feather pillows. The room was very Aria-like, with mix and match furniture that fitted together perfectly. Her front room was an open plan living, dining room and kitchen, while there was two bedrooms at the far right, and a bathroom at the left.

" It is sweetie. This is where me and you are going to be living from now on." Aria replied, taking a seat on the sofa with her. Spencer, Hanna and Emily all followed her inside, looking around and taking in the apartment.

" Wow Aria, you did a nice job on this place. It looked a bit crappy before." Spencer commented, as she took a seat on the love seat that was to the right of the sofa Aria and Summer were sat on.

" Good, it took me ages to decorate it all! Although I had a bit of help, but not much." Aria responded, quite proud of her work on the place.  
" Mummy where's my room?" Summer asked excitedly, on the journey here all she could talk about was the new house. She'd questioned Aria over and over again how she'd decorated her room. But Aria had wanted it to be a surprise, and didn't give it away.

" Do you want me to show you?" Aria asked with a smile, desperately hoping that her daughter would like it. She loved her daughter to pieces, and wanted her life to be perfect for her.

" Yes!Yes!Yes!" Summer answered in seconds, grabbing Arias hand and dragging her off of the sofa.

" Guys make yourself at home. I'll be back in a second. There's a kettle in the corner, coffees right next to it, and cups are in the top left draw, if you want a drink." Aria told them, before leading Summer to her bedroom. The bedroom was directly next to Arias new room, and was just as big. Inside the room was painted a bright pink, and had butterflies on the walls. The bed sat right next to the window, and had a canopy draping over it. A castle-shaped bookshelf stood in the left corner, while a built-in wardrobe was on the right. The doll's house she'd always wanted, sat next to her bed, with a box of Barbie dolls next to it.

" Do you like it?" Aria asked hopefully, as Summer looked around the room.

" Mummy this is the best room ever!" Summer said in delight, a cheerful smile planted upon her face. She ran up and hugged Aria tightly, before running over to the doll's house to start playing with it.

" If you need anything sweetie, me and your aunties will be in the living room. Have fun." Aria told her, before exiting the room with an even happier expression. Making her daughter happy, always made her happy. Aria had always wanted what was best for summer.

" I'm guessing she liked it." Hanna said, as Aria sat back down on the sofa.

" Thankfully she loved it. I don't know what I would have done if she didn't." Aria replied, not wanting to even imagine it. " So I was thinking we have a girly sleepover at my place, so we can catch up. You guys alright staying the night? I've missed you all so much!"

" Of course we will Aria! We need to catch up with you too." Emily told her.

" So first things first. Summer is looking more and more like Ezra." Hanna commented, and Aria looked down towards the floor at the sound of her ex's name. It had been 6 whole years, and despite her efforts Aria had still not fully gotten over Ezra Fitz. She still loved him, and knew she would never love anybody else like him again. Even though it hurt to know that he ran away from their problems, she still found herself wishing she could see him again.

" I know." Aria let out a soft sigh. Nobody but Aria knew why Summer looked a lot like Ezra, and Aria didn't yet have the courage to tell her best friends why. They still didn't know who the father of Summer was, and Aria didn't want to tell them yet. She had made a pretty big mistake, and didn't want to share it was anyone yet. It had been little over 4 years since it had happened and Aria still was ashamed.

" Are you ever going to tell us why?" Spencer asked with a concerned expression. Summer did resemble Ezra a lot, and she was like a living memory of him for Aria. Ezra and Summer both shared the same light blue eyes, kind smile and wavy hair. The only features that Summer shared with Aria was her chestnut hair colour, and petite nose. In a way she was a perfect split between Aria and Ezra.

" Not just yet. I'm sorry guys… I just can't." Aria told them, shaking her head, not wanting to recall the memory of it all.

" She is really beautiful though, and so cute. Is she starting kindergarten soon?" Emily questioned, and Aria smiled knowing that her daughter was perfect in every way.

" Yeh, she starts when I go to work." Aria responded, curling her feet up against her body on the sofa. " So tell me guys, relationships? Who's everyone with?"

" Well I'm still with Caleb of course. I love him so much, and he's just got a job at this big technology company. We've finally moved into together! And he bought me this pretty charm bracelet the other day." Hanna replied excitedly, showing off her bracelet. It was silver and had a diamond heart charm hanging from it.

" Wow, that must have cost him a lot. I'm glad you guys are happy." Aria said, smiling as she knew that Hanna and Caleb would always be in love with each other.

" Me and Toby are back together, since he managed to get himself a good renovating job in New York. He came back a few weeks ago. I've missed him so much!" Spencer answered, while pulling her phone out of her pocket and texting someone.

" I'm still going out with Maya, and we're really happy together." Emily said simply, with a small shrug. It was nice to know that Emily was still happy with being herself, Aria thought.

" Awh I'm so happy for you guys. You've all still got the same jobs right?" Aria spoke to them with a smile.

" Yeh, I'm still designing clothes. I've got a pretty big fashion show next week where all of the big time stores are coming to see my creations. I really hope they like them!" Hanna said.

" That's so cool Han! Make sure to get me and Summer tickets. You still swimming Em?"

" Yeh, but I also got a job in a restaurant as well so I can make money while I'm not swimming. I'm going for the Olympics next year."

" I'll have to get tickets to that as well then. Summers always wanted to see you swim." Aria told her.

" Yeh we'll all have to get tickets to that! I still work at the hospital down town as a doctor. I saw Wren the other day as well which was weird." Spencer explained.

" That's great you guys, I'm happy for you all." Aria told them. It was strange hearing this since a year ago, they'd all slowly moved away to New York, not even having the jobs they have now. Aria still remembered when Hanna was only a waitress. Hanna had complained about stroppy customers for ages.

" Now it's your turn to talk Aria. Are you with anyone? What job do you have?" Hanna questioned eagerly. Aria rarely spoke about her love life anymore, mostly since she hadn't had one in 4 years. Summer had mostly put a stop to that, but she didn't mind. Aria didn't really feel like dating anyone at the moment. She still had some moving on to do.

" Well I'm still an English teacher, and I've got a permanent job at Christopher Columbus high school in the city, and that's about it really. I quit my old job in Philadelphia since I didn't like it as much there, and I've found a great school for Summer to go to. I've always wanted to move to New York since you guys came down here." Aria answered truthfully, skipping out the love life part.

" We've missed you too Aria." Emily told her, and Arias smile widened.

" So is there anyone special your seeing at the moment?" Hanna asked. It was always Hanna who had been interested in Arias love life, Hanna always loved a bit of good gossip. It was too bad that Aria didn't have any.

" Nope. I haven't dated anyone in four years." Aria answered, hoping her friends would ask her the question she knew they would.

" Your still not over him are you?" Spencer asked, they all turned to Aria with concerned expressions.

" No. I don't know if I ever will be." Aria replied, glancing over at the small photo frame In the corner which behind the photo of her and summer, held a photo of her and Ezra together 6 years ago.

" Oh honey. We need to get you out dating again. Any guy would be lucky to have you!" Hanna exclaimed.

" Thanks guys but I don't think I can date at the moment. I've got my new job and Summer to worry about still, and I don't want to bring a guy into Summers life for it to all end badly. She's never had a father and dating will just get in the way of everything. I only want a relationship that's permanent." Aria made up a good excuse quickly, hoping her friends would believe her. If she told them that she was truthfully hoping to find Ezra again, then they would think she was crazy. But she was, even though she knew herself it was dumb.

" Fine, but I swear in the next few years we need to find you the perfect guy. We can't have you turning out to be a crazy old cat lady!" Hanna said causing us all to laugh at the thought.

For the rest of the evening, Aria talked with her 3 best friends, and they caught up on literally everything that had happened in the year they had been apart. Once it reached 8:30, though, Aria disappeared for half an hour to put Summer to bed. Every night Aria would read summer a story to put her to sleep, and usually it turned out to be a Disney Princess story. Tonight, Aria read her the story of Sleeping Beauty, and after around half an hour Summer had dropped peacefully into a deep sleep.

After exiting her daughters room quietly, Aria grabbed a bunch of pillows and blankets so that her and the girls could sleep over in the living room. When she came back to her friends, they set up their beds together and watched 'The Notebook', a cheesy romance film they'd all loved to watch back when they were teenagers. It was a little after midnight when they all decided to go to sleep, and Aria was once again happy. She had all of her best friends back. Now she was only missing one person in her life…

* * *

I had another chapter wrote so I decided to post it! Just because I thought I would be nice today;) Usually though I will only update once a week:) So the new Aria has been introduced, and I gave a little bit of an insight to how I wanted Hanna, Emily, and Spencer to end up being like. Hope you liked it and please review to tell me if you like it so far or not;) Next chapter Aria will meet Ezra again!:)

Disclaimer- I don't own any of the charecters but Summer Montgomery


	3. Chapter 3

Aria  
During the course of the week, Aria and Summer spent all their time settling into their new home. This week Aria had, had a chance to relax with her friends a lot, so she was ready to go back to work. Throughout the week Aria and Summer had been taken on a tour round New York. Spencer had taken them for coffee at a small café in town, and gave them a tour round Central Park. Summer had especially loved it there. Hanna had obviously taken them shopping, and Summer had been amazed by the large Disney store. Yet again Aria had bought her another version of Princess Belle as a Barbie. Emily had taken them to a swimming pool nearby, where she and Aria had attempted to teach Summer how to swim. It had worked a little, since now Summer could swim a whole length with her armbands on.

All good weeks had to end though, and today was Summers first day at school and Arias first day at work. Luckily, there would be no students there at work today for Aria. She would spend the day been shown around and given her lesson plan and classes for the year. Summer, Aria could tell, was nervous for her very first day at school. Aria knew that once she had made a friend, she would be fine. Summer had never really been shy, only when she was first meeting people. Once she knew she could trust you, she was very confident.

"Sweetie. Come on, it's time to get dressed for school. Why don't you go choose yourself an outfit from your new wardrobe?" Aria suggested to Summer, who was sat watching telly in the living room. She'd just finished her bowl of chocolate coco pops- her favourite.

" Ok Mummy." Summer agreed with a reluctant sigh, running into her bedroom to pick out an outfit. While Summer was occupied, Aria took a shower and put on a smart shirt, a pleated skirt and dark coloured blazer. She achieved just the right look for a teacher, slightly formal, sophisticated, yet fun and friendly. Leaving her long curly hair to cascade over he shoulders, she added in a few more curls with her curling iron, before applying make-up.

" Don't you look beautiful." Aria complimented her daughter, as she stepped into Summers room to check up on her. Summer smiled at her mum, but she still looked very nervous.

" You look pretty too mummy." Summer responded.

" Awh thank you sweetie. Now have you got your lunch and bag?" Aria asked, leading summer towards their front door.

" Yes mummy I haven't forgotten anything." Summer replied with a small giggle, as they exited their apartment. After getting a cab, Aria told the driver to head to Summers new school, and Aria held onto Summers hand tightly as they drove down there. Aria was nervous for her first day too, and she was nervous for Summer as well. But she knew in her mind that everything was going to turn out ok, it had to.

" Have a good day at school sweetie. Everything will be fine, don't be nervous. You'll have fun." Aria reassured Summer cheerfully, as kindergarten teacher gestured for Summer to come inside.

" Bye mummy. Have a good day at work." Aria kissed summer on the forehead, before heading back to the cab she had told to wait for her. Once she was in again, she told him to drive to the high school she would be working at. Butterflies were erupting in her stomach, as the nerves began to kick in. Hopefully everything would run smoothly today. Hopefully she'd love her new job there.

The school was quite big, and the cab dropped her off at the entrance to it. Nervously, she headed inside, following the directions she had been told to the head teachers office. Soon she came upon an office with the name Mrs. Emerson on the door. Glad that she had managed to find it without getting lost, Aria knocked on the door and waited for an answer. The door opened to reveal a bright woman who looked to be in her early forties, she had a cheerful expression and wore a smart womens suit.

" Hello you must be Aria Montgomery our new English teacher for this year." Mrs. Emerson greeted me cheerfully.

" The one and only. Thank you for giving me this amazing job Mrs. Emerson." Aria thanked her politely.

" Your welcome, and please call me Kathy. It's what the rest of the teachers round here call me." Kathy told her, leading her down a large corridor filled with lockers.

" Ok Kathy, so what will I be doing today?" Aria asked, looking around the school, trying to memorise the corridors so she wouldn't get lost.

" Well there will be no students in today, so our head of English Mr. Fitz will be showing you to your different classrooms, and going through the lesson plan for the classes your teaching." Kathy explained, and Arias eyes widened as Kathy said the name ' Mr. Fitz'. Surely she couldn't mean Ezra Fitz. But Arias heart ached badly at the sound of his name. Some part of her hoped that it was him, even though she was still mad at him.  
" I'm sorry, did you say Mr. Fitz?" Aria questioned, trying to act casual.

" Yes dear. He's our head of English, a lovely man. I'm sure you'll like him a lot. Is their a problem?" Kathy explained with a small frown.

" Oh no of course not, I've just heard the name somewhere before." Aria told her quickly.

" You may have read one of his books, he is published." Kathy said, leading her down a corridor with an office at the end that had ' Mr Fitz' wrote on the door.

" Probably." Aria replied with a smile, as Kathy knocked on the office door.

" Come in." An extremely familiar voice called, causing Arias heart to flutter slightly. Kathy lead Aria into his medium-sized office, and a small gasp escaped Arias lips as she saw the only man she'd ever loved again. Ezra looked the same as he had done 6 years ago, nothing had change about him. He still had short, wavy dark brown hair, a kind smile and mesmerizing blue eyes. What surprised Aria most was that he was wearing the same tie Aria had bought him 6 years ago. Ezra eyes widened in amazement as he saw Aria walk into his office.

" Ezra this is our new teacher Aria Montgomery. I'll leave you too to work, you know what to do Ezra." Kathy introduced Aria to Ezra, and left closing the door behind her. Aria and Ezra stared at each other for a few moments, and Aria began to fiddle with her hands – it had always been a bad habit of hers.

" Aria." Ezra whispered, still in shock. His hand had frozen on the page he was writing on, and his eyes were filled with an emotion that Aria couldn't quite figure out.

" Hi." She whispered, her heart beginning to beat a lot more faster. Small tears were beginning to form in her eyes, and even though she tried to hold them back, a few dribbled down her cheeks. Ezra noticed and stood up from his desk quickly, standing there quite awkwardly.

" Are you teaching here now?" Ezra asked, watching with a concerned expression as Aria wiped away her tears.

" Yeh. I got offered a permanent job. I was teaching in Philadelphia before. But I moved up here close to where Hanna, Spencer and Emily live." Aria replied, her eyes meeting Ezras.

" Oh." Was all Ezra said as he looked down towards the floor.

" Is this the school you went to teach at when you… left?" Aria asked, holding back more tears. She didn't know why she crying at the sight of him, she did feel quite happy to see him. But she also wanted more answers to why he left.

" Yeh. I've been working here for 6 years." Ezra answered. " How have you been?" he asked, taking a step closer towards her.

" Fine I guess. You?"

" Fine." Ezra answered, ending the conversation. We both stayed quiet for a moment, not quite knowing what to say. " Look Aria… I'm sorry for leaving. I really am, and I understand if you hate me and don't want to see me. I can show you around today and after that you don't have to see me again if you don't want. Just know that I'm really sorry… and I've… I've missed you." Aria looked down to the floor as he spoke.

" I missed you too…" She whispered, not daring to look up. " But I don't hate you… I'm just mad that you ran away from our problems." She explained, finally looking up after a few seconds. Ezra sighed.

" I know and I'm sorry. I guess in some ways it was a mistake to ever leave, and I will explain everything Aria. I promise. But for now I need to show you around, for work purposes." Aria nodded, understandingly. With a small smile, Ezra grabbed a few papers off of his desk and began showing her to the different classrooms she would be working in.

After handing her, her timetable for the week and going through the lesson plans, he showed her to her new office, which was all set up ready for her. The awkwardness had managed to disappear between them, and now they chatted freely about the different books that were part of Arias lesson plan. They laughed and joked with each other, just like old times. It was strange, yet nice for Aria. As always she enjoyed Ezras company… but all she could think about throughout the day was how he was probably married, or together with someone. He'd probably moved on. But Aria was happy to know he had forgotten about her, and still wore the tie she had gave him.

" So I think that's everything. Any questions?" Ezra asked with a smile, as Aria picked up her bag from her new desk.

" Yes, what times lunch?" Aria asked, causing Ezra to chuckle lightly.

" Its 12 till 1." Ezra replied, and another few moments of silence followed after he spoke. But this time it wasn't awkward, but comfortable.  
" Thank you for today. You've been great." Aria thanked politely, smiling broadly.

" Good. Glad I could be of help." Ezra said, and the conversation yet again died down. But this time Ezra was first to speak. " Look Aria, do you want my number? Then we can sort out a time where I can explain everything to you…" Ezra asked, slightly hesitant, but Aria smiled handing him her phone.

" Yeh sure. Just put it into my phone. There's a great new café I've found, maybe we could meet there." Aria suggested cheerfully.

" That would be great. Make sure to text me the details." Ezra reminded her.

" I will do."

" Is there anything else you need?" Ezra questioned, and Aria quickly checked the time. She gasped as she saw she had to pick up Summer in 20 minutes. Aria couldn't be late picking her daughter up on her first day of school.

" Um, no thanks. I actually need to get going. I need to pick my daughter up from school." Aria told him, packing away some of her things quickly. Ezras eyes widened in shock slightly, and his expression faltered a little. Sadness appeared in his eyes.

" You have a daughter?" Ezra asked in surprise. Aria froze for a second, wondering if Summer would ever end up meeting Ezra. Explaining to Ezra why Summer looked exactly like him would be very hard… It would probably be best to keep Summer away from him, for now.

" Yeh. It's her first day of school and she'll probably hate me if I'm late to pick her up. Thank you for today." Aria explained.

" No problem. It's been great seeing you again, Aria." Ezra told her, just before she left her office.

" You too, Ezra," She said, turning around to smile at him before leaving. As Aria left, all she could think about was Ezra. Her thoughts were filled with him, and how much she had missed him. But she was also still slightly mad at him, and wanted to know answers. She would have to meet up with him soon to get them. One thing that worried Aria most was that she was going to be working with him for the whole year… Would it hurt too much so see him every day and not be together with him? Aria quickly pressed away that thought, not wanting to even think about it. Quickly she typed into her phone ' S.O.S' and sent it to Hanna, Emily and Spencer. She had to tell somebody what had happened, and maybe she could get advice from them…


	4. Chapter 4

Ezra

All he could think about was her- Aria. Ezra had read over the same paragraph of a students work around ten times now, and still he'd taken none of it in. His mind was swimming with thoughts of Aria. All he could think about was how beautiful she still looked, the same as he'd always remembered, and also how she hadn't changed at all.

The biggest disappointment he faced, was that she had a child – her own daughter. One that had just started school, meaning she was 4 years old. His mind had already done the simple maths, and the answer showed that Aria had managed to get over him in only a year, and had a child with someone. This upset Ezra a lot, but also showed that maybe he had done the right thing to leave. It showed how Aria hadn't truly loved him as much as he loved her. It meant that her father was right – she would eventually move on. All this time he had dreamed that he one day would meet Aria again, and she would still love him as much as he loved her. But now his dreams had been shattered.

Aria  
" What's wrong mummy?" Summer asked her mum, as they both climbed into a cab together. Aria had managed to make it on time to pick up Summer; but only just. But her mind was still stuck on Ezra, and not on her daughter. All she could think about was him – how handsome he still was, how his personality was still the same, and how he still wore the tie she had bought him all those years ago.

" Nothing sweetie. I just met an old friend at the school I'm working at." Aria explained, forcing a smile to her daughter. Despite Summers young age, she was very smart. Summer had never had a dad, and had always been close to her mum. She knew when something was wrong.  
" Oh." Was all Summer replied, even though she wasn't fully convinced.

" How has your day been at school? Did you have fun?" Aria asked, hoping that her daughter had, had a better day than she'd had.

" Yes! Miss Making is very nice, and she even let me play a game with her!" Summer exclaimed, her face brightening as she spoke. Arias smile widened as she heard this.

"Very good. So I take it you enjoyed it then? Did you make any friends?" Aria questioned further, growing more curious.

" Yes there's this girl called Bree and she's my new best friend!" Summer responded. For the rest of the journey, Summer explained her story of the day. This managed to take Arias mind off of Ezra for a while, but not fully. She'd have to tell Hanna, Spencer and Emily about this, so she could get there opinion. Hopefully they would know what to do, since Aria was too confused at the moment.

When Summer and Aria arrived back home, Spencer, Hanna and Emily were all waiting in the living room; they each had a spare key. As soon as Aria entered through the door, all of her friends eyes turned to her in wonder.

" Summer why don't you go play for a little while in your bedroom, and maybe draw a picture of you and your teacher to show your aunties?" Aria suggested quickly, as Summer dropped her bag on the ground by the door.

" Ok mummy, I'll make it very pretty!" Summer said, before hurrying off into her bedroom. The smile immediately dropped from Arias face as she left, and all of her friends held concerned expressions.

" Aria what happened?" Em asked her, as Aria took her seat in her usual place on the sofa. Aria didn't speak for a moment looking down towards the floor. Maybe her friends wouldn't understand…

" I saw Ezra again today." Aria said in a whisper, awaiting her friends reaction. A gasp escaped Hannas lips and a worried look replaced her concern.

" Oh my god, are you ok Aria? I know how much it hurt you when he left… it must have been so hard for you." Han babbled, and Aria didn't take her eyes off of the floor.

" Where did you see him?" Spence asked.

" He's the head of department I'm working in at my new job at the high school." Aria explained, tears welling up in her eyes, the ones she had been holding back all day. The overwhelming feeling of how much she had actually missed him was springing back to her. Also the feeling of betrayal was mixed in there too. She had mixed emotions on how to feel about Ezra, all of them added to her sadness.

" Oh Aria…" Em said, wrapping her arms around Aria in a comforting hug. Aria rarely cried, and her friends knew this. She only cried when something had really upset her – in fact the only times she had ever properly cried was when Ezra was involved.

"Weren't you happy to see him again?" Hanna asked, confused to how Aria felt about Ezra.

" Of course I was. But when I saw him I felt all the things I felt for him 6 years ago, mixed with the feelings I had when he left. I don't know what to do. Obviously I still love him, but I can't help but feel hurt by what he did." Aria explained, tears dribbling down her cheeks.

" Has he told you why he… left yet?" Spence said, not wanting to push Aria too far, but wanting to know enough so she could help her upset friend.

" No. He gave me his number, saying that we could meet up somewhere, and he'd tell me." Aria explained, her eyes glancing at her phone that was grasped in her hands. She wanted to hear his voice again, the voice she had missed for 6 years. But she was hurt, and if he was married then it would be best to keep away, for her own sake.

" Do you think that's a good idea?"

" I don't know. But I need answers, whether it hurts or not." Aria replied, curling up into her friends side and pulling a blanket over herself for comfort.

" Well whatever happens we'll be here for you, right guys?" Em said, a reassuring smile forming on her face.

" Right." Han and Spence said in unison.

" Thanks guys. This means a lot."

" That's what friends are for. Now lets find a romantic comedy to put on, I think this calls for a girls night!" Spencer exclaimed, allowing Emily to choose a film from the stack in the corner.

" I'll be back in a sec guys. I just need to call Lucas to say I'm going to be home late. You can start the movie without me." Hanna told them all, exiting the room. The movie started, and Aria found herself actually managing to concentrate on its cheesy plot line. But of course she couldn't forget her problems, she never would forget Ezra.

Ezra  
He'd finally made it home, after spending hours on grading students papers. But still his mind was filed with thoughts of Aria. Once he arrived back, he changed into some more comfier clothes, and laid down on the sofa, picking up the book _' To Kill a Mockingbird'. _Ezra had read this book so many times over the period he had been without Aria, mostly because it reminded him of her so much. In fact, he was pretty sure Aria still had his original copy of the book.

After around 10 minutes of reading the book from the beginning, he was already up to page 100. But he was soon interrupted by the vibrating of his phone. Immediately he picked it up, hoping that it would be Aria texting him. However, a frown formed on his face as Hannas name flashed across the screen. Placing a bookmark in his book, he answered the call.

" Hanna?" Ezra said in a confused voice down the phone.

" Hey Mr Fi- Ezra. Look I need to talk to you." Hanna told him, and Ezra could hear the worry in her tone. Hanna had managed to keep her promise not to tell Aria that she had his number, but she had also called him constantly over the years after he had left, that was until she left to come to New York. She had always called whenever Aria was crying, and had always given him updates about her, and sometimes she had practically begged him to call her or even come back. But each time Ezra had refused, giving her the same reason. Although, he hadn't spoken to Ezra in a year, so why would she be calling now?

" Ok… what's up?" Ezra asked.

" Its Aria." Ezra immediately perked up, and was suddenly interested in the conversation.

" What's happened? Is she ok?" He asked worriedly. Today had been the first time he'd seen her in 6 years, was it possible that she was now in danger? Of course, Ezra was thinking of the worst that could have happened. But he hoped that they weren't true.

" Not really. She's been crying for the past hour, even Summer knew something was wrong. You know Aria, she never cries… What happened today?" Ezra let out a small sigh. Why hadn't it crossed his mind that she didn't want to see him after all of these years? Of course she would be upset when she saw him, he'd left without a proper goodbye and no explanation.

" Summer?" He avoided the subject that Hanna had brought up by asking who the name was that Ezra was unfamiliar with.

" Arias daughter." Of course, he had forgotten. Aria had a daughter – her own family. She didn't need him anymore.

" Oh. Look Hanna hardly anything happened today, she saw me again, I had to show her around. We talked and laughed with each other for the whole day, then everything went awkward again. She wants an explanation to why I left, and I said if she met me somewhere I'd explain."

" Do you still love her?" Hanna immediately asked as he finished answering.

" Yes, of course I do." He replied instantly, without a thought of doubt in his mind.

" Then why the hell did you leave!?" Hanna practically shouted down the phone, just like she use to when he had first left.

" Look Hanna I can't tell you before I tell Aria, it would be wrong." Ezra responded calmly.

" Then text her right now saying you want to meet up soon, otherwise she's just going to be as upset as she was for over a year. She needs an explanation Ezra, you owe her one." Hanna ordered firmly.

" I know she does, and I will. But I don't think she wants to see me Hanna, I bet she hates me." Why wouldn't she hate him? She had every reason to.

" No she doesn't. Just text her and please sort things out with her, I can't stand to see her upset any longer."

" I will Hanna, I will do tomorrow." Ezra promised. " Thank you for everything by the way, I owe you."

" Aria will kill me when she finds out." Was all she replied with.

" I'll tell her I forced you to or something. She can't stay mad at you Hanna, I know her too well to know that."

" No you don't know her anymore. You haven't spoken to her in 6 years. Which is why you need to talk to her again. Bye Ezra." And with that Hanna hung up. Ezras eyes stared at his phone scree for a few moments, before he began a new text to Aria on his phone. For a couple of minutes, he thought about what he could say. There was a million things that he wanted to say to her, but couldn't in a text.

_' Hey Aria. I really owe you an explanation, and I was hoping you'd keep your promise of meeting up with me at that café you were talking about? I'll tell you everything you want to know. Please know that I'm sorry. Love Ezra xx' _He typed into his phone. After reading three times over the message, he placed him phone down on the side table, and relaxed back into the sofa. He'd send the message to Aria in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Aria awoke to the sound of her phone buzzing on the small table next to her wooden double bed. Looking next to her, she saw that her alarm had already gone off and that she'd missed it completely. As she picked up her phone, she checked the time. 7:30. She was supposed to have got up at 7:00 and she need to be out of the house with Summer dressed by 8:15. Before frantically getting changed and ready, she checked her phone reading the message she had been sent. It was from Ezra, and it read –

'Hey Aria. I really owe you an explanation, and I was hoping you'd keep your promise of meeting up with me at that café you were talking about? I'll tell you everything you want to know. Please know that I'm sorry. Love Ezra xx'

She sighed as she read this, and felt the same pain in her chest that she had done since he had left. Sure she wanted the explanation from him, but he'd hurt her. Was 'sorry' really enough? Or was his reason good enough for Aria to forgive him straight away? Making up her mind almost instantly, she typed back –

' Hey Ezra. Sure how about Friday at 6:00? – Aria xx'

She ignored the part where he'd told her that he was sorry and the fact that he'd put 'love Ezra' at the end. The last thing she wanted to do was give him the wrong impression by sending back ' love Aria'. Sure it was a friendly thing to say and everyone always said ' love' on the end of a message, but she was a little paranoid.

" Summer. Wakey wakey. It's time to get dressed honey." She called to Summer, just as she began to get ready. Thoughts of Ezra filled her mind, and all she could feel was worry towards whether she was going to have to speak to him again today.

Once Ezra was dressed and ready for work, he checked his phone again finding a message from Aria. Without a thought of doubt, he texted back saying that he could go. He felt a hint of disappointment from the fact that she'd not actually put ' love Aria' back. But he banished the thought from his mind, as he exited his appartment, climbing into his car.

After dropping Summer off at school in the cab they had both taken, she told the driver to head towards the high school she now worked at. It was Tuesday morning, the start of term. Last night Aria had gone over all of her lesson plans for that day, but despite her preparation she was still full of nerves. This was her very first job as a full time teacher, with her own classroom and classes. Her biggest hope was that all of her students were decent.

It didn't take long for her to arrive, and she carried her handbag and books up the staircase towards the school. Already her hands were full, and she struggled to pull out her keys to unlock her office door. Just as she managed to reach her keys, she dropped all of her notes and books to the floor, and they made a loud crashing noise as they fell. With a small groan, she opened her office door, dropping her back inside, before heading back to pick up her things.

" Need some help with that?" A familiar voice asked politely. Aria looked up to see Ezra stepping out of his office. He looked as handsome as ever in a tight fitted suit, and windswept hair. Aria was about to answer, but instead of waiting, Ezra bent down with her to pick her things up.

" Thank you." She said, as he handed some of her papers back to her.

" Good luck today, and thank you for agreeing to meet me. If you need anything, just ask." Ezra told her, after a few moments of silence. Aria nodded with a forced smile, before escaping into her office hastily. Hopefully that would be there only encounter today, as Aria didn't think she could deal with anymore.

Her first few lessons went surprisingly well, and she didn't stutter or forget anything that she needed to say. Each of her classes that morning had been younger students who had just started this year, so the lessons she held were basically just introductions and giving reading lists out. At lunch she ate in the staffroom, introducing herself to some of the other teachers. She'd quickly made friends with another English teacher named Mandi Daytown. One thing that had slightly annoyed Aria, though, was one of the conversations they had shared while eating.

~ Earlier ~

" So what do you think to Ezra, the head of our department?" Mandi asked, causing Aria to stiffen a little.

" He seems nice." Was all she had replied, while quickly looking down at her food.

" You're allowed to say he's cute, you know. All the female teachers here think it. Even me." Mandi said, eyeing Ezra who was sat with a male teacher with blonde hair across the room. Aria blushed slightly, but quickly hid it before Mandi could see. For some reason it annoyed Aria to here Mandi say that Ezra was cute.

" Fine, he's cute." Aria admitted, trying to hid her anxiety.

" He's single too, surprisingly. A few teachers have asked him on a date, but he always said that he was waiting for someone else, which I thought was really cute." Arias eyes widened slightly in shock as Mandi said this, but she quickly dismissed the thought that it could be her he was waiting for. Ezra wouldn't have left in the first place if he was waiting for her… right?

Thoughts of that very conversation lingered in Arias thoughts as she entered her classroom, writing on the board her name ready for her next lesson. Next she would be teaching the oldest students in the school, who were all 18. This set her on edge a little more, as they were older, needed to learn more complex things and probably had high expectations.

" Hi, please take a seat. I'm miss Montgomery, and I'm going to be your English teacher for this year." Aria announced, slightly shaky. There were a mixture of boys and girls in this class, and as usual she could pick out the typical stereotypes. Also, most of her students were taller than her, which was another common thing that always happened.

Half an hour dragged by, and Aria talked about what they would be doing this term. The majority of them seemed genuinely interested, but some seemed totally bored. After announcing that they would be reading 'To Kill A Mockingbird' this term, she handed the books out. Just as she returned to her desk, she saw a note being passed from one of the guys at the back to the other. Forming her expression into a frown, she held out her hand to the boy who had received the note.

" Pass me the note please, there's no note passing in class." She said quietly but still stern. Aria had never been one for shouting unless she was truly angry. The boy who had passed it shook his head at his friend, indicating not to give it to Aria.

" It's just a piece of paper." The boy said with a straight face, keeping the note in his hand.

" Then I'm sure you won't mind if I throw it in the bin." Aria said, keeping her hand open in front of him.

" I need it as a bookmark miss." The boy, who Aria seemed to think was named Nick, came up with another excuse.

" Pass me the note, Nick." She said more sternly this time raising her voice. Nick stared at her for a moment, before they were interrupted by the door opening. Ezra stepped into the classroom with a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird in his hand.

" Um…" He began staring at Aria for a moment. Never before had he actually seen her as a teacher. " You left this in the staffroom." With her cheeks flushing slightly, she walked over to Ezra, taking the book from his hand. Their hands brushed each other slightly as Aria took the book, and she felt a slight tingle in her hand.

" Um, thanks Mr Fitz." She replied, slightly awkwardly, only just realising that the book he'd returned had once been his. Trying to hide her blush of embarrassment, she placed the book back down on the table, before turning to smile at Ezra.

" Sorry, did I interrupt something?" He apologised with a small frown.

" Oh no, I was just asking Nick to pass me the note Ben had sent to him." Aria said quickly. " What punishment do I give for note passing by the way?" She asked more quietly, though the rest of the class heard her anyway.

" Nick please could I have the note." Ezra ordered softly, and with a quick glance at Ben, Nick handed him the note. Obviously Ezra already knew the pupils she was teaching, they'd probably been in his class last year. Opening up the note, Ezra read inside and Aria spotted his jaw tightening, and fist clenching. " That's detention Ben, I'll see you in my office tonight."

Ben glared slightly at Ezra as he said this, and Ezra handed the note to Aria before exiting the room. Some of the students started whispering as Aria read the note. It said ' Wow our new teachers hot! Think I'm deffo going to get an A this year if you know what I mean ;)'. Immediately Aria ripped up the note and threw it in the bin, slightly curious to why Ezra had reacted as he had. However, she brushed the note incident off and returned to teaching.

Ezra returned to his office, a frown still upon his face. Usually, he rarely gave it detentions. A student really had to annoy him for him to give out a detention. Why he'd stepped in, rather than just telling Aria to go by her instincts, he didn't know. But now he wished he hadn't seen that note, as the class and probably Aria had seen his reaction to it. It angered and annoyed him that Ben had called Aria hot, and had basically suggested that he was going to 'sweet talk' her into giving him an A.

He knew that Aria would never have given him an A that easily, but still it annoyed him. Aria was beautiful and young, and obviously she was going to catch the attention of some of the older boys, but Ezra couldn't stand the thought of thinking about that. All he wanted was for Aria to be his, so that nobody else could have her. But she had a family now, and she was probably married. So somebody else had probably already won her heart.

One thing that did please him, however, was the fact that she still had his copy of To Kill A Mockingbird, and that she hadn't gotten rid of the message that he'd wrote on the 2nd page in. What did occur to him aswell, was whether Aria had noticed that Ezra usual wore the tie she had bought him. He hoped she had, as maybe this would hint that she had always been in his thoughts for the past 6 years. But why would she notice? It was so long ago that she'd given him it…


	6. Chapter 6

The week passed by quicker than Aria had expected, and soon it came to Friday. Already she'd managed to settle in at school, and she knew the names of the majority of her students, and she'd gotten use to teaching rather quickly. After finishing work at 4:00, she went to go pick Summer up from school, who now went to an after school club every night since Aria couldn't pick her up on time.

" How was your day today sweetie?" Aria questioned with a bright smile, as she collected Summer from school.

" It was good, mummy. My teacher gave me a pink sticker!" Summer replied excitedly, showing Aria the sticker that was stuck on the t-shirt she wore.

" Very good honey. Are you excited to see Auntie Spencer and Uncle Toby tonight?" Aria questioned, and Summer nodded her head eagerly and began to list what she was going to take and do at Spencers house. Since Aria was going to the café tonight with Ezra, Spencer had offered to look after Summer for the night. Aria already had her night bag ready, and they were heading to Spencers house.

" Thank you so much Spencer for doing this. You're a life saver." Aria told Spencer, as Spencer came to answer the door. Her and Toby lived in an apartment a few blocks away from Aria,

" No problem Aria. I hope you're going to be alright tonight with Ezra." Spence told her, as Summer ran up to Spencer and hugged her legs.

" Auntie Spencer!" Summer exclaimed in delight.

" Hiya sweetie. Have you got all your things for tonight?" Spencer asked kindly, picking her up into her arms.

" Yep, my mummy packed them for me." Summer answered.

" Here are all her things, if there's anything missing that she needs, or if there's anything wrong just ring me. I'll pick her up at 9" Aria told Spencer, slightly worried. This was the first time that Aria had left Summer in the hands of someone else. Aria had raised Summer all on her own, and she'd had to become independent very quickly. She'd never bothered with a babysitter, mostly because she hadn't been out properly in a long time.

" Sure will Aria, I'll see you at 9. Have fun," Spencer told her, as Aria kissed Summer on the forehead before beginning to walk back to her apartment.

" Bye mummy!" Summer shouted once Aria had done waving to them, and had almost gone round the corner.

Once Aria was home, she changed swiftly into a floral loose dress, a knitted cardigan, and large, wedged sandals. She applied a little more make-up, then tied her hair into a side pony tail, leaving bit of her fringe to cover the side of her face. Clipping in her favourite, flower earrings, she picked up her phone and headed out the door. A cab was already waiting for her outside, just like she had asked, and she climbed in telling him to head to a new café near central park.

When she arrived, Aria climbed out the car and entered the café. The café was called ' Central Cofee Café' and it was very modernised. All of the chairs and tables were styled, and the room had a brown, red, cream colour scheme. It only took her a few seconds to spot Ezra, sat at a two seater table by the window. He waved her over, with a broad but slightly anxious smile.

" Hey." Aria greeted him, butterflies erupting in her stomach. Tonights events were unpredictable. She didn't know whether she was going to end up crying, or whether her and Ezra could be mutual friends.

" Hi. I've already got you your drink, it's your favourite – or it use to be." Ezra said, his voice sounding quite shaky. Aria found it cute that he was nervous himself. As she sat down, Ezra handed her a mug of hot chocolate, with a few swirls of whip cream that had chocolate sprinkles in the shape of a heart on top, and a single marshmallow in the centre. _He remembered. _Aria thought to herself.

" Thanks, and it's still my favourite." She said with a small smile, taking the marshmallow from the top and eating it. Neither of them spoke for a few seconds, and Ezra merely gazed at Aria, taking in her beautiful appearance.

" You look beautiful, by the way." He complimented, smiling as she blushed.

" Thanks." Was all she replied, while looking down at her drink.

" So how have you been Aria? And what have you being doing over the past 6 years?" Ezra asked slightly awkwardly, not wanting to hurt Aria in any way tonight. But he could no longer avoid asking in the question, he needed to know. At the question, Aria looked down towards her hot chocolate nervously.

" Well… I-I went to college and got a major in English, then I moved to Philadelphia for a while to teach. Then I moved here." Aria answered quickly, missing out large details.

" Didn't you say you had a daughter?" Ezra questioned with a slight frown.

" Um yeh. Her names Summer and she's 4." Aria responded. Ezra stayed quiet for a moment before forcing himself to ask one of the questions he'd been dreading most.

" Are you married to the father 0r-" His voice trailed off, and Ezra noticed Arias nerves as he mentioned this.

" No. I'm not married, in fact I'm single and have been for a while." Aria responded and silently Ezra breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't married and was single. The only problem with that was that she'd had to look after Summer on her own, which no doubt will have been hard.

" Oh." A few seconds of silence followed yet again, and they both simultaneously took a sip of their drink.

" So… How have you been?" Aria asked, not ready to ask the question she desperately wanted the answer to yet. Her instincts were already telling her that she wouldn't like the answer to _that _question.

" Um, fine I guess." Ezra answered, taking another sip of his coffee.

" What have you been doing since you… er… left." Aria looked down as she spoke again, not willing to look him in the eye. This conversation was more awkward than she could have predicted.

" Well I originally had your job before, then a year ago I was promoted and the teacher that took my place moved somewhere and quit. I have an apartment in the city, not far from here actually… and that's about it." Ezra explained in little detail.

" Who do you live with?" Aria asked, not daring to ask ' do you have a wife or girlfriend?'.

" Nobody actually, I'm single as well."

" Right." Silence, again. " Ezra…" Aria began again, holding back the tears in her eyes. She couldn't cry – she _wouldn't. _" Why?" Was all she asked in the end, keeping her voice strong.

" Why what?" Ezra asked with a slight frown, oblivious to what Aria was trying to ask.

" Why did you leave, after everything we went through?" Her voice was quieter this time, a lot more angelic than usual. Ezra let out a small sigh.

" Aria you're not going to like the answer." Ezra was right, she wasn't and somehow Aria knew this herself.

" I don't care, I've waited long enough." Aria said, a single tear running down her cheek. Swiftly, she wiped it away. Ezra paused before speaking again, as if trying to think of a way to explain it without hurting her.

" I left because I had to Aria, for your sake. Otherwise your reputation would have gone down the drain, and you would never of had a normal life. We would have been sneaking around all the time still, and you were going to go to college soon anyway. I had to leave." Ezra tried to explain it without including Byron as he knew this would hurt her the most.

" That didn't mean that you had to leave! How did you even get the job in New York in the first place? Were you looking? Had you planned to leave all along? Did our relationship mean anything to you!?" Aria couldn't contain her anger and hurt anymore, so she exploded with questions. Ezra sighed again, this time in despair. He had to tell her, he couldn't lie any longer.

" I wasn't planning on leaving, I didn't look for the job myself it was given to me." Ezra explained.

" By who?" Arias voice was quieter this time but she still sounded as fierce.

" Your father." Silence fell, for what felt like the hundredth time. More tears welled up in Arias eyes, and Ezra could tell it was taking all of her strength not to burst into tears.

" No." She said, shaking her head in denial.

" Look Aria, I'm sorry but it's true."

" No." She repeated, but this time she didn't sound as sure.

" A few days after we told your parents about our relationship Byron turned up at my apartment and threatened me. He said if I didn't take the job in New York then he would tell the police about everything, which would put you in danger as well as me. Nobody would ever forget what had happened and you would constantly be scrutinized for it. I thought that if I did leave you could have a normal life, you'd forget about me, go to college, get a job of your own, and be happy. Byron convinced me to leave, and he made me promise that I'd never see or speak to you again… I guess I'm breaking that promise now." Aria stayed speechless, and the tears she had tried to hold back were now streaming down her cheeks.

" Why would he do that to me…" She whispered, shaking her head.

" Aria I thought it was best for you…" Ezra repeated again.

" Well it wasn't best for me! You left without any explanation! I wasn't myself for a whole year after you left! And it all turned out to be my dad… He lied to me…" Her voice trailed off at the end.

" Aria…" Ezra reached for her hand across the table, and squeezed it comfortingly. " I'm so sorry. I wish I'd never had to leave. Our relationship meant everything to me and if I'd had a choice I would have stayed… I loved you, and I still do." He admitted in a soft tone, and Aria stared at him for a moment, tears still running down her flushed cheeks.

" I can't do this." Aria said shaking her head. " I have to go." Moving her hand out of his, she stood up and headed toward the door. Jumping up from his chair, Ezra hurried after her.

" Aria wait!" He called, she stopped and turned for a moment, turning to face him. Her eyes were now puffy and red from crying. Each step he now took towards her was more hesitant, and as he reached her, he outstretched his hands to cup her face. As he leaned in towards her, she froze, closing her eyes tightly shut. Pressing his lips onto hers, he delicately held her face in his hands. Fire seemed to blaze in his stomach as she began to kiss him back, the feeling he was no getting he hadn't felt in so long. They kissed softly for a few moments, before Aria pulled away to take a breath. Staring at each other for a moment, Ezra used his thumbs to wipe away her tears, not letting go of her face. However, then Aria began to shake her head again, and she pulled away from his grasp, looking down towards the floor.

" I can't do this." She announced to him, causing Ezras heart to break slightly. " Thank you for the drink, and thank you for telling me everything. I have to go." Ezra nodded his head, holding back the hurt emotion he was now feeling.

" Bye Aria." He said quietly, as she climbed into a cab pulled up on the curb. Why had he kissed her in the first place? He knew that she would never like him in that way again after he left, so why had he done it? That question ran through Ezras mind as he climbed into his own car. But one thing he couldn't help but cherish, was the feeling of her lips on his. Only now had he realised how much he had actually missed her.

* * *

They kissed! Hope you guys liked this chapter! Originally I hadn't planned them to kiss at all and just have Aria run away, but I thought it would be nice to have them finally kiss! Next chapter will be coming soon, so stay tuned! Please review and tell me what you think! And thankyou for all the grea\t reviews already!:)

Disclaimer- I don't own anything of PLL just Summer Montgomery.


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